Asst. News Editor | Fall 2015; News Editor | Spring 2016; Development Editor | Fall 2016; Editorial Editor | Spring 2017; Managing Editor | Fall 2017-Spring 2018

I get asked a lot why I continued working at The D.O. after realizing I didn’t want to pursue journalism. I usually talk about learning to communicate, work with others, write — what have you. But the truest answers for why I stayed are the people. You, and this place, made me.

Jess: Thanks for bringing me on to write SA. I had no idea then how much it would mean.

Annie: You were my role model here. Remember how hard we cried after your last Sunday meeting?

Mara: I always wanted to do right by you as news editor. The idea of your disapproval struck fear into my heart, but only because I admire the heck out of you. Thanks for pushing me in my mid-semester review to consider EIC, even though you probably knew Justin was going to do it. It made me feel like I’d be qualified to lead here someday.

Brett: I’m a proponent of having fun at The D.O. and not taking everything too seriously because I saw how you led here, and I loved working under you. I’ll aim for fine any day.

Chloe: You were the first person outside News who made me feel included here, and I’ll always be grateful for that. I know we’ll be bonded forever through our love of Panera’s French onion soup and Webkinz.

Ali L: I always wanted to feel as together as you seemed. I still think you’re the coolest.

Jon: LMK if you noticed how much I flirted with you.

Brigid: Without exaggeration, you’re the kindest person I know. You’re so beautiful on the inside that you literally glow on the outside. I can’t fit how much I love and appreciate you in here. Amigas. Cheetahs.

Delaney: The world needs more women like you. Ghost pepper forever.

Satoshi: I remember seeing you for the first time when you answered a question in COM 107. I was a little jealous of how much you knew. Now I’m just grateful for the time we worked together and for your friendship. I hope you know I’m always in your corner.

Caroline C: Taking a scroll through your Instagram is like taking a bath. So refreshing. So soothing. I love the brand you’ve built for yourself. Keep with the pop culture, my fanfic sister.

Aishwarya: The future is bright for you here and everywhere. You’re a superstar.

Danny: The fact that being a Business columnist made you want to pursue journalism warms my lil heart. I love that you love news.

Lydia: Environment columnist to feature editor within a year. What can’t you do?

Myelle: I was blown away after your interview for assistant editorial. I knew I needed you as my assistant because you were full of life and invested from the get-go. You’re going to kill it in New York, my dear.

Casey R: You’re a hilarious human being. Carl Wheezer forever.

Joe: You’re also a hilarious human being. Go Phils.

Amy: Pants Queen, you are talented and effortlessly cool, and best dressed in my book.

Billy: Thanks for defending me against McCleary. You’ll be an awesome sports editor one day.

Bridget: I always appreciate your quiet humor and not-so-quiet feminism, and I’m so excited to see your work as PD.

Caroline B: I see the wild child within you. Let her out! And continue to be the asset you were while you worked in house.

Casey D: I never expected to vibe so much with a freshman designer — no offense, freshman designers — but it’s probably because you’re a newsy at heart. Keep serving memes.

Catherine: You were my favorite hire this semester. At the risk of sounding like an overly pensive soon-to-be grad, you remind me a lot of myself when I started here. You’re a riot and a hell of a reporter. Can’t wait to cry about Tyler Seguin’s everything via Insta DMs with you this summer.

Haley K: You’re the definition of a boss. There’s nothing you can’t do — I’m convinced.

Jordan: Your devotion both impresses and worries me every day. Remember we’re here to learn from our mistakes, and stay the dogged, dank human you are. I’ll yeet to that.

Kateri: I love your deadpan humor and the constant stream of dog pics you show me during class. Come back after Copenhagen.

Kennedy: Your work the past two weeks has been outstanding. I appreciate you always keeping it real and inadvertently making me laugh from across the hall.

McCleary: You’re a pain in the neck, but you’re Leighanna’s pain in the neck.

Rori: There’s no one like you. Period. Stay thirsty, and stay wild.

Schafer: You’re such a good kid, it’s unreal. I so appreciated every time you came to me for help. Your love for learning will do wonders for you as SE. Tell your nephew I said hi.

Talia: I loved watching you speak up more this semester. Don’t let anybody keep you quiet. You’re a D.O. stan! And you’ll do great things here.

Taylor: No one has it together like you do. Keep shining, sister.

Ali H: You’re bold, bright and full of spirit — all ingredients of a stellar ME. It’s an honor to leave this position for you to fill. Best job at the paper!

Ally: You carry sunshine everywhere you go and never make it look exhausting. It’s a beautiful thing.

Andy: Your dedication, humor and love for all things social make you a star of The D.O. show — both in reality and on reality TV. Between stealing each other’s identities, serving on the Playlist Task Force and developing plot lines for the 744 reality show, we became two peas in a pop culture pod. Hit me up in alumni Slack to keep me updated on the tea.

Colleen: There’s a reason I thought of you first when Alexa and I decided we needed a digital copy chief, and your path from DCC to feature editor to assistant news says it all. I’ll miss our constant DMs and laughs while checking pages. What are we going to do tonight, Colleen?

Graham: You became SE in a tough spot and owned it, and you should be proud of that. I certainly am. Morse code and Tchaikovsky won’t be the same without you.

Kai: You were my favorite person to greet during production because you always showed up with an “it’s a new day” attitude and a smile. You worked tirelessly this semester, and I hope you come back soon. I’ll miss you, Kai.

Kelsey: Only a star columnist could start in house as Op editor. You’re immensely talented, gracious, gorgeous and sweet, and you’ll be an asset everywhere you go.

Lizzie: You helped bring Video to new heights, and that never went unnoticed by me. I admire your initiative and know you’ll do great no matter what.

Sam: In all my time here, I’ve never met a staffer who works as hard and as well as you. You’re going to crush it next year. I’m incredibly proud of you.

Stacy: Your energy, outfits and work ethic inspired me on the daily when you were FE. You’re one of a kind, and I can’t wait to see where you take yourself.

Burke: I remember when Justin and Mara called me into MGMT for your interview. I was so amped to meet the mysterious kid whose SA coverages went straight to B. I asked you about The D.O. being your priority over Nunes. It’s laughable now, given what we’ve been through since. I think back on our hours-long trips to Burger King and Taco Bell fondly. Thanks for helping me through being news editor and for being there for me.

Emma: I love a woman who’s vocal about what she wants and works for it, and you embody that. I’m continuously inspired by your spunk, style, talent and part-time gig as Girls Night emcee. Can’t wait to like every fabulous Insta you post in Copenhagen and beyond.

Fortier: I’m glad our sporadic long G-chats while you were in LA transformed to sporadic long talks about life and feelings this semester. Thanks for being a shoulder when I needed one. I’ll miss bantering with you. A former ME and a former SE walk into a bar…

Kathryn: We love a feminist, go-getting queen who lives and breathes SEO. Your iconic path at The D.O. never led you to digital editor, but you’ve been a digital asset to this place for years, and you should be proud of that. I’ll miss bopping and gossiping with you in MGMT. End up in New York, OK?

Lucy: The third member of MGMT might’ve been a joke, but you were a confidante and a sounding board like no other for Alexa and I this year. In the four semesters we worked together before last fall, I never imagined we had so much in common. I loved seeing your candor, confidence and hilarity bloom this past year. I wish everyone knew how cool you are, and I wish you could’ve been in MGMT. You would’ve been amazing.

Rachel: Sis, you’re a forever friend. Like, the kind I texted when I left an assignment crying and was on a train home. The kind I talked with for hours at Panera last December because we couldn’t shut up, and I didn’t want to leave even when we had to. The kind I sat next to in Visuals as we finalized your 30 and thought: We may not always keep up, but we’ll always be there for each other.

Sara: Three years ago, I was a new hire who couldn’t wait to work alongside Rachel and Sara, the two D.O. girls in my PSC 123 lecture I’d never met but stalked religiously on Twitter, desperate to be friends. I can’t count the times since that we’ve laughed so hard breathing became difficult, or the times I was in absolute awe of your selflessness. You’re a gem. One last Panera with my girls is a must.

Tomer: Our friendship is one of my college treasures. Thanks for indulging my fast food addiction and cracking me up like nothing else does. Graduating is somehow infinitely easier by nature of you being 10 minutes from a stop on the LIRR. Yankee Stadium, here we come.

Clare: Alexa once described you as her fairy godmother, and I can’t think of a better description. Somehow, between all the post-production Bird sessions and hair braiding, you became a role model, big sister and best friend all in one. Thank you for everything.

Justin: You gave me my start in house, and so many starts after that. Some of my fondest memories from college live in Betsy, God rest her soul. I took a video once, because I didn’t want to forget driving down Erie with you and Alexa — my best friends — listening to your mix CDs, the sun low in the spring sky, the windows down. I knew you’d be leaving soon, and it got me good. It’s getting me good now, too.

Alexa: The hardest part of graduating isn’t leaving Syracuse or leaving 744. It’s leaving my best friend and going from living in each other’s pockets to living on separate coasts. Through Sunday to Wednesday productions; Thursday, Friday and Saturday dinners; post-production McDonald’s trips and every moment between, we’ve become extensions of one another. Thank you for being my sister, for never making me feel like competition is a byproduct of friendship, for always being down for dinner and for always, always being there. I wish beyond measure that we were going to the same place, but I’m OK with leaving knowing that we did something good here. It’s time to embark on a forever trip to that post-D.O. universe we always imagined. I’m ready if you are.

Published on May 1, 2018 at 2:44 am

Contact Alexa: atorrens@syr.edu